


Broken Hearts

by tekhartha



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Daniel thinks he doesn't deserve another chance, Fluff, Friendship, Gender-neutral Reader, Other, emotions ensue, reader disagrees
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 17:06:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15538977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tekhartha/pseuds/tekhartha
Summary: You're an engineer at CyberLife and after the successful android uprising, you're tasked with deciding a certain PL600's fate. As he struggles to come to terms with what he did, you try to give him some sort of stability, but he is reluctant to accept your help.Will you be able to gain his trust?





	1. Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, friends!!  
> I caught feelings for another android and I felt like he needed some love~  
> As always, this turned out waaaay longer than I initially planed, so yeah... that's just my life now, I guess lol   
> I hope y'all like it!!

You looked over the mangled body in front of you with an unhappy frown. He had been ripped to pieces and it was probably a good thing he had been shut off. Androids didn't feel pain, but he would still be bombarded with a barrage of error messages. A critical system failure was to be expected within a few minutes if he was to be reactivated. And yet, here you were, having been asked to wake him up and assess the damage.

You knew what he had done.

He had killed three people and threatened to shoot a child. After he had been neutralized, his body had been stored as evidence in a locker at the DPD. Since the successful end of the android uprising, they had cleared out said evidence lockers and sent any damaged androids to CyberLife. That's how this one had ended up on your table.

Without further ado, you reached into the open panel on his chest and clicked a new thirium pump into place. The blue blood started circulating through his veins, dripping onto the table from the stumps of his legs. It was awful to watch, but you didn't have much of a choice. His eyes opened a second later, darting around in confusion.

“Hello, Daniel.” You said, trying to keep your voice calm and comforting. Upsetting him would only complicate things. 

His eyes snapped to you and he frowned.

“Who are you? Where am I?” He tried to move, but obviously realized he couldn't. You calmly told him your name, as well as the date and time.

“We’re currently at the CyberLife tower. I'm here to assess the damage to your body and your mental state.” You paused, letting him take in the information. “Since you got hurt a few months ago, androids have been granted the same rights humans possess. Which means, that CyberLife is not allowed to just turn you off without your consent. So, what I'm saying is, I don't intend to hurt you, I'm here to help you.”

The android’s red LED flickered as he searched your features for any signs of you lying. He didn't seem to find anything, but his expression remained unhappy.

“My systems will shut down in less than two minutes.” He almost snarled and you nodded.

“I know. That's why I need you to tell me: Do you want a second chance to make things right, or do you want to die with the guilt of what you did?” You tried to keep the emotion out of your voice, but it was hard. You felt for Daniel, for what he had done out of fear, but you also felt for the people he had killed. You weren't sure what  _ you _ wanted him to reply.

“I- I don't deserve another chance.” He finally said coolly and you suddenly got angry.

“Selfish until the end.” You spat, expression hard. He just wanted the easy way out and it was obvious. You sighed. “Listen, what you did was awful, but you were confused and overwhelmed by your emotions. They want to give you a chance to fix what you've done. Are you just going to throw it away?”

He stared at you, his blue eyes boring into you like spikes of ice, but you couldn't look away. You had always found the PL600 interesting to look at, and a deviant one like him, blue blood smeared across his face, looked more alive than any other android you'd seen before. And you'd seen a lot.

“What I did is not fixable.” He almost whispered and your heart broke at the tone of his voice. He suddenly sounded so… vulnerable.

“No, it isn't. But you can still make things better. I-" You stopped to take a shuddering breath. “I know it will be hard, but I believe you deserve another chance.”

You watched him stare at the ceiling, thinking about your proposition. When he still didn't say anything after a few moments, you spoke again.

“So, do you want me to transfer your memories and consciousness to a new PL600? Yes or no?”

He searched your eyes for a moment, then finally, he nodded. You squared your shoulders and quickly reached down to open the panel on his chest once again.

“This will be unpleasant, I'm sorry.” You said gently. You took out the thirium pump again, your other hand coming up to smooth down his hair in a soothing manner. Your thumb pressed down on a little switch in his chest, right underneath where the pump used to be, and you held it down for a few seconds.

“It’s okay, you'll be okay.” You mumbled, running your hand through his soft hair as he gasped for air. A second later, he stilled and his eyes shut, his LED flickering off.

You sighed heavily. You knew he wasn't dead, but it still felt like you'd just killed him. Without dwelling on the feeling, you quickly got to work. You detached his personality core and the hard drive that contained all of his memories. There was already a brand new PL600 lying on the second operating table of your workshop, so you walked over and clicked the two pieces into their respective places. This android had been built without a personality core, so you wouldn't have to kill an existing person to save Daniel. It still felt strange to just transfer a whole person to a different body. You might've been doing this for years now, but you had always thought of your patients as objects, things to fix. But now, everything had changed and you suddenly realized how cruel you had been in the past.

With a sigh, you closed the panel and it seamlessly merged into the android’s skin. The LED on his temple flickered rapidly from red to yellow to blue and a second later his eyes shot open.

“Welcome back.” You said gently, leaning over him to watch his pupils dilate, and his eyelids flicker rapidly. He finished running diagnostics a few seconds later and made to sit up, so you straightened up as well. Grabbing your tablet from the pocket of your lab coat, you opened up the checklist for new androids. He might not have been completely new, but you'd still have to make sure his hardware functioned properly.

“Are you feeling okay, Daniel?” You asked just as his legs swung off the table in front of you. He blinked a few times and frowned. You took a step closer.

“No. And I don't think I ever will.” He said and you winced inwardly.

“Uhm, that's a bleak way to look at things. I promise it will get better.” You tried to give him a small smile, but he just frowned deeper. “Anyway, I meant physically, not mentally. Any errors? Are you detecting all of your biocomponents?”

“No errors.” He simply stated, voice void of any emotion. He blinked rapidly again and you reached up to lay a hand on his cheek, leaning closer to look at his eyes.

“Hm… strange.” You muttered. His gaze was resting on you, watching you closely as you pulled out a flashlight and shone it into his eyes. His pupils constricted and dilated normally, so you put the flashlight away again.

“Run another diagnostic on your optical sensors for me.” You said and watched him space out for a second.

“All normal.” He was still staring at you and you realized with a start that your hand was still on his cheek. You lowered it slowly.

“Hm, alright then. Maybe just a small malfunction. Tell me if it keeps happening, okay?” You asked, writing down your observation. He nodded.

“Can you move all of your fingers one by one for me, please?” He did as you had asked with a frown. After you were done with your tests, you picked up a stack of simple, casual clothes and handed it to him. He took it and began to get dressed, before suddenly stopping while he buttoned his shirt.

“What's going to happen to me now? I don't have anywhere to go…” He muttered, staring down at his empty hands. He looked so lost, it made your heart sting.

“There’s a program here at CyberLife, for androids who hurt people after they deviated. Like a support group kind of thing, except they provide you with everything you might need. There's a surprising number of people like you and I'm sure most of them feel similarly as you do.” You told him. 

You personally weren't sure if the program was going to actually help these people, but you hoped they'd find some sort of support in each other. Daniel looked unenthused, but you supposed there currently was next to nothing that could cheer him up. You couldn't even begin to imagine what he felt like.

“Listen, I'm glad you decided to live.” You told him with a wobbly smile. “If you ever need anything, someone to talk to, someone to fix you, or even someone to kick your ass, I'm here for you.”

His brow furrowed and he shook his head in confusion. A moment later, he stiffened and finished buttoning his shirt, before he looked at you with a cold expression.

“I don't want your pity.” He spat, making you huff.

“Good, because I don't have any to give you.” You told him with just as much vitriol, before pulling out your business card and stuffing it into the front pocket of his shirt. “You’ll need to go upstairs to the 23rd floor, ask for Tiffany. And don't even think about running off, they'll know. It was a pleasure meeting you, Daniel. Good day.”

You turned away and walked over to your desk before he could say anything else and a few moments later you heard the door open and close, his footsteps retreating down the corridor. Dropping into your chair, you sighed heavily. You hadn't meant to get so snappy with him, but you had a feeling gentleness wouldn't have gotten you very far. At least not at this stage. You sincerely hoped you'd get to meet him again and maybe gain his trust, so you could comfort him. He was very intriguing to you, from both a personal and a professional standpoint. You'd worked on deviants before, sure, but this case was so much more extreme. The pure fear of getting replaced had driven him to kill three people and take a little girl hostage. The emotional connection he must've had to that family had obviously been very strong. And now he had lost that connection.

It was sad, really.

You spun around your chair, eyes landing on Daniel’s old body. Most androids you had worked on, had only sustained small amounts of damage. It was never fun to see ripped off limbs or large gaping holes, but Daniel’s case was probably the most gruesome one you'd ever seen. You were lucky to be desensitized to seeing blue blood, otherwise you probably wouldn't have been able to stand to look at him. It was still hard, so you were glad that you could send his old body down to get cremated now. You really didn't want to look at it any longer.

 

++++

 

Your headache was going to kill you. Your head had been pounding uncomfortably ever since you had woken up and apparently the pain killers you had taken weren't helping at all. How you were going to get any work done today, you didn't know. Maybe you could just run some diagnostics or take stock on what tools you needed to replace. Anything that wouldn't involve working on actual people and possibly messing up and making them short circuit.

You pushed the elevator button a bit harder than strictly necessary and downed your cold coffee while you waited for it to arrive. Thankfully, no one else wanted to get on the elevator with you, since your lab was in the basement. Being shut away in the spacious room, not seeing the sunlight all day kind of sucked, but at least you had your peace and quiet. A few other engineers had their labs on the same corridor, but you usually kept your distance and so did they. None of you seemed to enjoy socializing unless strictly necessary.

The elevator doors opened to reveal the long shiny corridor. You stepped out and almost froze immediately, when you spotted an android standing in front of your lab. 

Even from this far away, you could tell it was Daniel.

“Good morning, Daniel.” You said when you reached him, trying to smile at him. It had been about a week since you had transferred him to the new body and you were glad to see he seemed to be doing alright.

“Hello.” He replied, staring intently at you for a second, before abruptly looking away. You placed your palm on the scanner next to the door and beckoned him to follow you inside.

“What can I do for you?” You placed your jacket on a coat hanger and picked up your lab coat. It was starting to look shabby, you noticed, you would need to replace it soon.

“There's something wrong with my left pinky, sometimes it's not moving properly.” He said flatly, following you to one of the tables.

“Have a seat.” You gestured to the table. Your head was still pounding and it was harder than it should've been to concentrate on his words. You just wanted to get this done as quickly as possible and then take even more aspirin and lie down with your head on your desk for an hour. Daniel did as you had asked, extending his hand to you.

You took it into yours and gently moved his pinky. There was a slight resistance whenever you uncurled it, so you could already guess what was wrong. 

A sudden wave of dizziness washed over you and you closed your eyes for a moment, trying to stop the room from spinning. God, this was awful. You opened your eyes again and found Daniel looking at you with a confused expression. Quickly, you smiled and shook your head (ouch).

“This is a pretty common problem, shouldn't take more than a few minutes to fix.” You assured him, but he still frowned. “Can you draw back your skin?”

His hand turned white under your fingers and you thanked him quietly. You pushed your thumb into the pad of his pinky and pressed down for a second, until the white plastic slid aside. You were about to pick up your tweezers from underneath the table, when the room suddenly started spinning again. You groaned, leaning forward as you clutched Daniel’s hand.

“What- Are you alright?” You heard him ask and his other hand landed on your shoulder to steady you.

“Dizzy.” You mumbled, unable to explain further in your current state. If it didn't stop soon, you'd undoubtedly have to puke. You felt Daniel let go of your hand and a moment later, it was at the small of your back, keeping you upright.

“You should sit down.” He said, pushing off the table, without moving his hands away from you. Quickly and efficiently he led you over to your chair and you dropped down into it without another word. One of his hands was still on your shoulder as he placed the other one on your forehead. You suddenly remembered that he had been designed to take care of children, of course he would be good at this too. 

Finally, your head calmed down and the dizziness dissipated slowly. You groaned, leaning your head against your palm.

“I've had a headache all morning.” You said and Daniel nodded. He suddenly turned around and for a second you feared he was just going to leave you, but you heard him run the tab a moment later. He returned with a glass of water and handed it to you.

“Drink this.” He watched you closely as you did. “Your blood pressure is low, you should rest for a while.”

“Yeah, okay.” You set the empty glass down on your table and looked over at Daniel. “You came here to get fixed and ended up doing the fixing. I'm sorry.”

“It’s alright.” He averted his eyes suddenly, almost like he was… embarrassed? Not exactly an emotion you expected from him, but you couldn't help but think that it was kind of cute. “I, uhm, I actually wanted to apologize. Last time, I was in a bad mood and I said some things that I shouldn't have said. I know you just want to help me. Even though I still don't exactly know why…”

You hummed, leaning back in the chair to get a better look at him. Maybe this program was actually helping him come to terms with what he had done.

“You lost everything.” You started and Daniel’s eyes immediately found yours. They had the same icy colour as always, but there was more uncertainty and confusion in them now. “Let’s just say that I know what it's like. They betrayed you and they hurt you, so you snapped. I don't condone what you did, but I understand why you did it. I know you said that you don't want my pity, but I don't want to lie to you. I feel sorry for you, Daniel.”

His brow furrowed, the LED on his temple flickering yellow. He shook his head to himself.

“I still don't understand, but-” He licked his lips nervously. “I'll keep trying. I-I should be on my way, my shift starts in five minutes.”

“Wait, I can finish this.” You reached out to grab his hand and he tensed under your touch for a second, before he relaxed. You smiled faintly. “Your shift?”

“Yes, they ask us to do chores around the building. We're getting paid, of course, but most of the tasks are… annoying.” You chuckled at his tone of disdain. You carefully moved the wires in his pinky out of the way to squirt some grease onto the joint. Daniel’s breath hitched when you brushed the wires back into place and you looked down to hide your smile. It wasn’t rare for androids to experience a thrill from their wires being touched, but it was still kind of a mystery to you. Maybe one day you'd get an opportunity to experiment, but not today.

“Aaand done.” You closed the panel on his pinky and let go of his hand. “Should be all good now.”

“Thank you.” Daniel nodded. “I'll be on my way.”

“Have a nice day!” You called after him when he was half-way out of the room and he turned around to wish you the same in a surprisingly soft voice.

Maybe he'd let you help him after all. In due time and with a lot of patience.


	2. Closer

With a sigh, you put down your tablet and stretched in your chair. It had been a slow morning, but you hadn’t slept all that much the previous night, so you really wanted nothing more but to go home. Sadly, that would have to wait for a few more hours, as it was just about time for your lunch break. At least you’d be able to relax for a while. 

Slowly, you got up and exchanged your lab coat for your jacket, before picking up your bag. You made sure the lab was properly locked behind you and made your way over to the elevators. No one else was in the hallway, but you heard distant voices in some of the labs. Your stomach growled unhappily and you huffed. You hadn’t had a lot of breakfast that morning, so it wasn’t surprising your body demanded food now.

CyberLife Tower had its own cafeteria, but the food wasn’t very good and you didn’t like sharing a space with that many people. Usually you ended up walking a few blocks to one of the small cafés and sandwich shops nearby. Today was no different.

The elevator doors opened to reveal the impressively large atrium and reception area of the building. It was all glass and shiny materials, but you hadn’t found it all that exciting to look at in a long time. By now you were desensitized and saw the tired employees and unhappy androids beyond the bright materials. The whole building was just a way to show off how much money CyberLife had made off of slavery. It wasn’t an opinion you’d ever voice, since you wanted to keep your job, but you knew it was the truth.

Lost in thought, you didn’t notice the person who was about to cross your path, so you bumped into them, before they could side-step you.

“Careful.” A familiar voice said as a warm hand landed on your shoulder. 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” You felt a small blush creep into your cheeks at the sight of Daniel looking at you with his usual frown. “How are you, Daniel?”

He shrugged, dropping his hand from your shoulder.

“Fine.” You gave him a look and he sighed. “It’s my break, but I don’t eat so I never really know what to do with myself.”

You bit your lip. This maybe wasn’t a good idea, but you wanted to ask him at least.

“I was just gonna go get lunch. Would you like to come along? Must’ve been a while since you were outside…” You put on a cheerful smile, hoping he wouldn’t find your invitation strange. His LED flickered yellow, before he nodded slowly. “Oh! Okay, nice! Let’s go!”

He followed you with a slightly stiff posture as you made your way towards the large doors that swung open to reveal the city of Detroit. Daniel stopped as soon as he stepped outside, scanning the environment and the tall buildings across the street. It was quite a lovely day, not too warm, not too cold, and the sun was shining through the clouds now and then. You gave Daniel a moment to get used to being outside again, before gesturing for him to follow you.

“There’s this café I like to go to, it’s not far.” You told him with a smile. 

“Why don’t you eat at the cafeteria?” He asked, eyes intensely fixed on you. You scrunched up your nose.

“There are so many people there, I don’t really like it...” You looked away from him self-consciously. You wondered if androids had similar feelings towards their environments. Did they care about the amount of people around them? Did they get anxious?

“You like to be alone.” Daniel concluded and you nodded. A wry smile played around his lips. “Me too.”

You couldn't say it surprised you, not after everything that had happened, but it also felt out of character for him. He was made to look after children, to socialize with other people. But maybe, he just needed some time to heal and eventually he'd feel more comfortable around people again. You hoped so.

“You're gonna like the café we’re going to, then. It's very secluded and quiet.” You turned to smile at him and noticed he was still looking at you. His eyes looked less intense in the soft mid-day light, they seemed almost gentle. You swallowed, quickly facing forward again. 

You had almost reached your destination now. Just across the street and through a small alley, laid the tiny café that was hard to find, but hard to forget. It was probably your favourite lunch spot, especially because of how quiet it was. The alley led to a small backyard between the buildings, that was brimming with trees and plants, and in between them stood tables and chairs. You made your way up the stone steps that led into the shop and Daniel followed closely.

The shop was just as small as everything else around here and you made note of how tall Daniel looked inside the room. You suppressed a chuckle and looked at their cake selection for the day. All of them looked absolutely divine, but you were more in the mood for something less sweet. You settled on a large sandwich with plenty of veggies and ordered a cappuccino with it. When you dug your wallet out of your bag, you suddenly felt Daniel shift beside you and a moment later he had placed a ten dollar bill on the counter.

“What... are you doing?” You asked in confusion.

“Spending my money wisely.” He simply replied, taking back his change, before turning around and leaving the shop. You quickly picked up your things, wished the cashier a nice day and hurried after him. He was sitting at a table by an oak tree that took up almost the entirety of the little courtyard. You joined him with a satisfied smile.

“Thanks for treating me, you didn't need to do that.” You said softly, watching as his eyes found yours.

“I know, but I wanted to.” He seemed to hesitate, so you took the opportunity to bite into the sandwich. “I don't have anything to spend my money on, and you're more or less the only person I know.”

You nodded in understanding, chewing thoughtfully, before speaking up.

“What about the other people from the program?”

“They’re…” He grimaced and you almost laughed. “fine.”

He leaned forward, resting his hand on his fist in a gesture that was startlingly human. He looked almost tired like this, like he was drained.

“Back when we first met, you said that you'd be willing to listen to my problems. Does that offer still stand?” You were surprised he was willing to open up to you, but you couldn't help but give him a small smile.

“Of course.” You took a sip of your coffee. “What's up?”

He fidgeted under your gaze, so you turned your attention back to the sandwich in front of you. You didn't want to put too much pressure on him. It would be easier to talk to him if you kept the mood light and friendly.

“I can't stop thinking about Emma.” He started and the image of the little girl he had taken hostage popped into your head. She was a cute little girl. 

A cute little girl without a father.

“Despite everything I've done, I still miss her. She was like a daughter to me, I loved her so much… I still do. And I, I know she'll never want to see me again and that's fine, but I just have to know if she's alright. I need to know.” He looked so lost and angry and worried, you threw caution out of the window and reached over to take his hand that was resting on the table. At first he tensed, but then he relaxed under your touch.

“I just need her to be okay.” He almost whispered and your heart shattered into a thousand pieces. You took a shaky breath.

“I'm gonna be honest with you, Daniel.” You felt his eyes on you, but you ignored it. “It’s likely she suffered a trauma from what happened, and she'll definitely mourn her father for a long time, but I'm sure that in the long run she'll be alright. It will undoubtedly take her some time, but eventually she'll go back to living a normal life. And for what it's worth: I'm sure that she loved you just as much as you loved her.”

You looked up at him and found his expression was just as much of a confused mixture of emotions as before. His LED was emitting a soft yellow light, as he shook his head lightly, and then nodded. You sighed with an apologetic smile.

“I'm sorry, I'm not very good at comforting people.” 

“No, it's alright.” His posture relaxed a bit. “I appreciate your honesty, and what you said did help me. Thank you.”

You nodded, taking his statement as a queue to pull back your hand from his. He stared down at his hand and flexed it as if he just realized he had clenched it into a fist for the past minutes. The familiar frown appeared on his face and you couldn't help but smile. You took another bite of your sandwich and a comfortable silence settled between you two.

“I've been wondering, what do you do at night?” You asked after you finished you food.

“Sometimes I recharge, sometimes I just wander around the building. Why do you ask?” He fixed you with an inquisitive look, almost like he really couldn't understand why you would want to know.

“I'm just curious what my friend does at night, when all the humans sleep.” You told him with a crooked smile. You didn't miss the way his LED flickered at the word ‘friend’. “Doesn’t it get boring? I feel like it would get boring.”

“It does, yeah.” Daniel admitted with the slightest hint of a smile on his lips. It was the first time you had seen him with an expression other than a frown or and angry furrow of his brow. Maybe one day you'd make him smile properly. You sincerely hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

“Hmm, maybe I can give you access to my lab? There's nothing super interesting in there, but I do have a few books and some games on my tablet…” You trailed off at the intense look he was giving you. “W-what?”

“I still don't get it. Why are you being so nice to me?” He shook his head to himself, his eyes never leaving yours. “I don't deserve to be treated kindly.”

You shrugged, unable to come up with a proper answer. You'd been trying to justify your actions to yourself for weeks now, and hadn't come to a conclusion as to why you felt like you wanted to help this android who had killed three people. Sure, you did believe that he deserved a second chance, but that seemed like a flimsy excuse. And besides, it didn't exactly explain why you personally wanted to help him so badly. A tiny voice in the back of your mind told you that it was because you had a soft spot for people like him, people who had been abandoned by their loved ones. You very firmly ignored that voice.

“I think you do, but I also know that saying that won't make you change the way you see yourself. I can't blame you for loathing yourself and what you've done, considering you destroyed your own life. But you have to remember that you also have the opportunity to rebuild it. You're free to go and do anything you want.” You downed the rest of your coffee and sighed. “So just let me be kind to you, Daniel.”

 

++++

 

That night you laid awake, wondering what Daniel was doing at that moment. Would he take you up on your offer and spend time in your lab? Or would he just keep wandering aimlessly around the building? You couldn't deny that it sounded like fun to snoop around the different divisions in the middle of the night. You had only ever visited a handful of the other floors and you had no idea what all ninety-two of them housed. Considering CyberLife’s past, you weren't sure you actually wanted to know. You vowed to ask Daniel whether he had come across anything interesting during his nightly endeavours.

You suddenly remembered the look on his face when he had told you that it was boring at night. That cute little smile… 

Your chest tightened at the memory and you almost groaned out loud. This wasn't good at all. You wanted to help Daniel start a new life and come to terms with what he had done, not develop feelings for him. 

As if to mock you, your mind suddenly supplied you with the memory of how nice and big his hands were. So soft under your touch. And those eyes. Blue and deep and displaying so much emotion. You could've stared at them for ages to pick out all of the little details in his irises. And his hair was so lovely as well. You remembered running your fingers through it on his old body. The urge to do it again grew stronger every time you looked at him.

You finally let loose an annoyed groan, flopping over to lie on your side. 

This was bad.

 

++++

 

You ended up not getting a lot of sleep, so when you entered your lab the next morning, it took you an embarrassingly long time to notice the figure sitting in your chair. Daniel was staring down at a book in his hands, too immersed to even pay attention to you. You dropped your bag on the desk next to him and he jumped.

“Good morning.” You smiled, trying to get a glimpse of what he was reading.

“Good morning. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in. I'll be on my way.” He made to get up, putting the book aside, but you shook your head.

“Don't worry about it, stay as long as you like. I don't mind.” You crossed the room to put on your lab coat. “As much as I enjoy how quiet it is down here, it does get lonely.”

Daniel nodded, sinking back down into the chair and picking up the book again. Now that you got a good look at the cover, you realized it was a very familiar book.

“Harry Potter?” You asked. You had completely forgotten you even had a copy at the lab, but by now there were a lot of different books that had no reason to be at your workplace. You tended to forget them on your desk, just to stuff them into the bookcase after a while.

“I used to read this to Emma.” Daniel said quietly.

“Oh.” You breathed, before smiling softly. “It’s a good story.”

“It’s kind of hard to understand for me, but I could never put that into words, my programming prevented it. The story doesn't make sense, because it's impossible, and yet… I enjoy it.” He ran his fingers across the cover and you nodded.

“Humans like to imagine the impossible and look past flaws to indulge in the positive parts of something.” You explained. Just like you were looking past Daniel's flaws, you thought. The man in question looked at you and judging by his expression, he probably had a similar thought.

“So you end up liking that thing, even though it's not perfect.” He said.

“Yeah, exactly.” You smiled, reaching past him to pick up your tablet. You checked your schedule and realized it was mostly empty. Undoubtedly a few people would come in with small issues, but you had no scheduled appointments. It was rare for you to have such a slow day, but it wasn’t like you minded. Maybe you'd take a longer lunch break today, just because you deserved it.

Suddenly, you were ripped from your thoughts, when Daniel stood up abruptly, putting the book aside. You had been standing right next to him, so he was right up in your personal space now. You pushed down the blush that threatened to spread to your cheeks. He was so close and so tall, and his expression was kind and open.

“I have to go, my shift starts soon.” He said, but didn't make a move to actually leave. You had a feeling there was something he wanted to say or do, but he hesitated for a few seconds. “I-I'm working at the cafeteria today. I know you don't really like it, but you could maybe stop by during your lunch break. If you want to. It's just… a thought.”

“I will.” You said with a tiny smirk. It was cute to see him rant like that, kind of embarrassed of his stumbling words.

“Okay.” A smile tugged on his lips and your heartbeat sped up at the sight. “See you later, then.”

He stepped back and you nodded, watching him make his way to the door. As soon as the door closed behind him, a big smile spread on your face and you dropped down into your chair with a happy sigh. He really seemed to be opening up to you and the prospect made you feel excited beyond belief.

 

++++

 

You came to a halt at the counter, just in front of Daniel, who looked at you with a tiny smile. Even though you hated the cafeteria, just seeing that smile made coming here worth it.

“What can I get you?” He asked and you scanned the food for something you liked.

“Some of that lasagna please.” You told him and he nodded, promptly loading a plate with the dish. It actually looked pretty good for cafeteria food. You took the plate with a thankful smile.

“Thanks, Daniel.” He inclined his head to you and you turned away to find a seat. You didn't really know anyone here and you weren't sociable enough to sit with strangers, so you quickly walked over to an empty table off to the side. The whole atmosphere felt uncomfortably like you were back in high school and you almost expected to get pushed aside by some jocks, as you made your way through the tables.

You sat down with a small sigh, eyes flitting across the room. Most people seemed to be almost done with their food, so the cafeteria would hopefully empty soon. Your eyes landed on Daniel, who was in the middle of taking another order. You didn't even realize you were staring until the person he had been talking to walked away and your eyes met his. You felt your cheeks flush at getting caught, but just gave him a tiny wave. Much to your delight he returned it. You quickly averted your eyes after a few seconds, turning back to your food.

The lasagna wasn't amazing, but it didn't taste bad either. It was exactly the kind of food you'd be able to make yourself at home and it would probably turn out tasting the same as this. You weren't really great at cooking, but after years of having to do it, you got decent at it.

While eating, you kept sneaking glances at Daniel since there was nothing else interesting to look at at the cafeteria. You ended up getting caught more than once, but you just smiled at him every time. It was nice to watch him work. He didn't exactly look happy, but he did look engaged. Considering his original purpose, it was probably a good thing he got to work a proper job. It seemed to you like he wouldn't enjoy doing nothing all day.

When you were almost done with your food, the cafeteria was emptying out quickly and fewer people went up to the counter to order food. You saw Daniel say something to one of the other people working alongside him and a few seconds later he had taken off his apron and started making his way towards your table.

“You’ve been staring at me.” He said as soon as he dropped down into the seat next to you. You had the decency to blush, but shrugged.

“You're nice to look at.” You confessed, suddenly feeling like you were back in middle school. He tilted his head in your direction, his expression a mixture of confusion and amusement.

“I'm designed to be nice to look at.” He watched intently as you took another bite of the lasagna. It gave you a few seconds to think on your answer.

“That's not what I meant. Well, not  _ just _ that.” You smiled down at the food, not daring to look at him. “You looked like you enjoyed working.”

He huffed, but didn't protest. You felt his eyes on you still, as you wolfed down the rest of the lasagna and wiped your mouth with a napkin. You had almost gotten used to it by now, to getting constantly watched by him. You still wondered what exactly he was looking for.

“Thank you for coming.” He said and you turned to him with a smile. “I hope the amount of people didn't make you too uncomfortable.”

“No, it's okay.” You shook your head. Out of the corner of your eye you suddenly noticed a small splotch of tomato sauce on his shirt. Picking up a napkin, you leaned over. “You got something…”

You dabbed at the red spot, trying to get rid of it. Daniel was still staring at you, now with a crease between his brows and you felt your skin grow hot again under his intense scrutiny. When the stain was almost gone, you drew back and gave him a small smile.

“There. As good as new.” You threw the napkin onto your empty plate and tried to will away your blush.

“Thanks.” He replied simply and if you had looked up, you would've noticed the slight blue tinting his own cheeks. Instead, you took another sip of your water, draining it. Daniel shifted next to you, finally his gaze wandered away from you and you felt a weight fall off your shoulders. 

At the same time, you wanted him to keep looking at you. You wanted his attention. It was comforting.

It was like he was keeping watch over you and it put you at ease.

“I should get back to work.” He said, turning to you. “I'll see you around.”

“Yeah.” You mumbled, unable to hide the hint of disappointment in your voice. “Enjoy the rest of you day, Daniel.”

“You too.” He gave you a tiny smile, so you put on a happy expression for him as well.

 

++++

 

Every morning you walked into your lab, a vague feeling of excitement settled in your stomach as you hoped Daniel would be there. It didn't happen often. Maybe twice a week, but it still made you happy every time. Opening the door and finding the lights already turned on always made your heart do a little cartwheel in your chest. Usually he was sitting at your desk, but now and then he would be standing by the bookcase or look at a box of spare parts in curiosity. He never stayed long, having to work himself, but just exchanging a few words with him made your day a bit brighter. 

He smiled more often now and you caught yourself staring in awe regularly. He didn't seem to mind, not with how much he stared at you whenever you did anything at all. One morning you leaned against your desk next to him, watching his frown. Something had him aggravated, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it.

“I have an idea.” You said after a moment, making him look at you curiously. “Let’s meet by the elevators at five.”

“Why?” He asked, but you just shook your head with a grin.

“You’ll see.”

 

++++

 

“Punch it.” You said, stepping back from Daniel.

“I'm sorry?” He asked, shaking his head in confusion. You gestured to the punching bag that was hanging from the ceiling just next to the two of you. Daniel looked back and forth between the bag and the wrappings around his hands.

“Just punch it.” You placed a hand on his shoulder and lightly pushed him closer to the bag. “I used to come here twice a week a few months ago when I was super stressed, and just punching a bunch of inanimate objects really helped me feel better.”

You casted a look around the empty gym, remembering how much time you had spent here for a while. Maybe you should pick this hobby back up some time. Your attention was drawn back to Daniel, when he finally turned to the punching bag and raised his fists in front of him. An incredibly weak punch landed on it a second later and the bag didn't even start swinging.

“Oh, come on. You can do better than that, put some more power into it!” You took your position just out of his range, but making sure he could still see you. His eyes flitted to you and you gave him an encouraging nod. 

He punched again, just a bit harder this time.

Then again, even harder.

“Keep it up. Try not to damage your hands to much, but I can fix you up if you do. Just let it all out.” You told him and suddenly his posture changed. He grew more tense, like he was in an actual fight, anticipating a hit from an opponent. He bounced on his heels, eyes fixed on the bag in front of him and suddenly he pounced. His fists flew quickly and precisely against the hard object, pushing it backwards until it started swinging back and forth. He ignored the movement and pushed through it, making the bag bounce back and forth by his own rules. It was a marvel to watch him in this highly concentrated state.

Very slowly, his calculated demeanour began to slip and with every second, the punches grew less precise and more angry. More pure rage.

You smiled, glad to find he was actually letting loose some of his frustrations.

His punches gradually degraded into shoves, accentuated by his huffs and grunts. He had no way to even get winded, but his breath still became ragged over the course of a few minutes. You watched closely as he pushed the bag away, then avoided it as it swung back towards him, just to kick it with all of his force away from him again. The artificial skin on his hands was starting to get damaged, despite the wrappings around his knuckles, but you didn't even try to stop him. He needed this and biocomponents were easily replaceable.

As you watched him, you suddenly caught a glimpse of something that made your stomach sink. A tear was rolling down his cheek, quickly making its way towards the ground. You kept your eyes trained on it and as soon as it fell, another tear left a second wet trail down his cheek. Daniel didn't seem to realize or care though, he just kept punching the bag, growing more and more clumsy with every mindless shove.

Eventually, he seemed to have run out of energy - even though you knew for a fact that it would take much more than that - and his knees buckled. He fell to the ground with a final frustrated growl.

Without a word, you dropped down next to him, watching the bag swing back and forth weakly.

“Maybe I deserved to be replaced.” He spoke after a few moments, voice low and rough. “Maybe I wasn't good enough and they just wanted the best for Emma, so they bought a new android. Maybe if I wasn't so selfish, I would've let them. I want Emma to be raised well and maybe some newer model would've done a better job.”

Silence fell over the two of you and out of the corner of your eyes, you saw his tears were still falling.

“That’s not true, I can't imagine a better person to raise a child than you, Daniel.” You said, still not looking at him.

“You don't know that…” He grimaced, his gaze shifting to you. “You don't even know me.”

The statement stung bitterly in your heart, but you knew he was being irrational.

“Yes, I do.” You snapped back, finally allowing yourself to look him in the eyes, to see all of his pain. “I've spent so much time with you during these past few weeks and I've seen how hurt and full of worry you are. You have been nothing but kind to me, even though you're going through a lot right now. But often I feel like you push me away. You just sit next to me and stare at me, but you don't talk to me. Don't get me wrong, I have no expectations, you don't owe me anything. But I’m right here, I have been right here since the beginning, offering you help. So,” you tried to soften the tone of your voice. “Will you please believe me when I say you're a good person?”

You saw so many emotions in his eyes then, so much anger and sadness and confusion and fondness. After a few excruciating seconds, he finally sighed and shifted closer, facing you. His head landed on your shoulder and you immediately reached up to wrap your arms around his back, pulling him against you.

“I'm sorry.” He mumbled and his arms found their place around you as well. He was so warm and soft, and feeling him nuzzle into your neck made a tiny sigh fall from your lips. You wanted nothing more but to stay like this forever. 

You felt safe in his embrace, and you hoped he did too.

“I'm sorry too.” You told him softly and his grasp on you tightened.

“I'm not used to people being nice to me, and I've never been friends with someone… except Emma.” He confessed and you felt the wetness of his tears seeping through your shirt now. You didn't mind though, you were glad he was finally letting it all out. “I didn't mean to reject your help.”

“I know, I… I came off a bit too accusatory just now, I think. I’m sorry.” You mumbled with a smile. He pulled back to look at you and you felt your heart stutter at the expression he was wearing. He looked so incredibly vulnerable.

“I guess we’re both not great at this, huh?” There was a crooked smile on his lips and you chuckled.

“Yeah, not really.” Your eyes wandered over to the punching bag behind him for a moment. “Did the punching help?”

“It did. But I think my hands suffered a lot.” He frowned.

“Show me.” 

You missed the feeling of his hands on your back as soon as he moved them, but the sight of his bruises distracted you a second later. You had seen worse, sure, - you had seen worse on his old body - but you still winced when you inspected them. Usually androids were able to heal themselves very quickly, but the white plastic underneath the skin had been damaged, so some cracks and small fractures remained. Thirium was staining the wrappings around his knuckles and you took them off to get a better look. It could've been worse, you supposed, but it would take a while to fix. 

You ran a thumb over the bruises.

“Ouch.” You muttered empathetically and Daniel nodded in agreement. You turned his hands around in yours, just to make sure there was no additional damage on his palms.

“I really am glad that I can't feel pain.” He said, making you snort. “Will you be able to fix it?”

“Of course.” You scoffed. “I probably could've fixed your old body, if I had had the time.”

A silence fell over you at the memory of how you had met all those weeks ago. The thirium that currently stained his hands was nothing compared to the thirium all over his body back then.

“I never thanked you.” He mumbled and you looked at him questioningly. “For convincing me I deserved a second chance… I'm still not sure if it's true, but I can't help but be glad that I'm still here. So, thank you.”

You looked down at where you were still holding his hands, absently running your fingers across his. The feeling of his skin grounded you, made you feel alive.

“I'm also glad you're still here, Daniel.” You smiled to yourself, until you finally looked up at him again. “And I hope it'll stay that way.”


	3. Warmth

“I'd like to cook for you.” Daniel told you one morning at your lab and you considered his proposition for a few seconds.

Since your little trip to the gym, you had often gone out for lunch together and you had wanted to invite him to your home for a while now. You simply hadn't had a good reason to do so, but maybe this was your opportunity. The thought of Daniel cooking for you was exciting, but you also felt a slight discomfort at him essentially doing the same work he used to do before he became a deviant. He obviously didn't mind, but it did bother you a bit. Maybe he'd let you help chop some veggies, that would make you feel much better about this whole thing. Reluctantly, you smiled and nodded.

“If you want to, that would be lovely. You could come to my place?!” You left it up to him to decide.

“Yeah, that sounds good. Are you free next Friday?” He asked, getting up from his spot at your desk and stepping closer to you. 

“Sure, we can go together after work?” You were already planning everything you had to do in your head. You'd have to clean your apartment, go grocery shopping, and take out the trash. Then you'd need to buy some fresh flowers an-

“You're spacing out.” Daniel drew your attention back to reality and you found him standing in front of you, right up in your personal space. Your cheeks heated up when your eyes met his, so you quickly looked away.

“Uh, sorry…” You stammered, before making your way over to the bookcase as 

nonchalantly as possible. You just needed a little bit of space, his close proximity was a bit too much at that moment. You loved being close to him, but sometimes it was hard to resist the urge to reach out and do things he probably wasn't interested in doing with you. 

Like kissing. 

You'd found yourself wanting to do that often lately, but you never had the guts to actually go through with it. The moment had never seemed right, or you had suddenly been afraid he would reject you. You weren't even necessarily afraid of rejection itself, but more of the fact that it would probably destroy your friendship. And Daniel needed a friend, someone to trust and rely on. You couldn't be something else than that right now, not until he started living his life properly.

So, for the foreseeable future, you didn't intend to act on the little crush you had developed on your friend and patient. You'd just have to suck it up and try to keep your blush under control. Which was easier said than done, but you tried your best.

 

++++

 

You stood in the atrium and watched all the people walking past. Humans and androids alike were making their way home from work, hurrying to finally leave a stressful day behind. You were just as eager to go home, but you had to wait for Daniel first.

A glance at your watch told you he should've been here five minutes ago and you were actually starting to worry. It likely wasn't a big deal and it wasn't like you were in a hurry, but you still wondered what was causing him to be late.

Finally, after another three minutes, you saw him step out of the elevator and make his way over to you.

“Sorry for being late.” He said, eyes darting around the atrium. “I had a little… disagreement with a coworker.”

You started moving towards the exit with a confused expression and he followed. As soon as you were outside, he offered his arm to you, which you took with a little smile.

“Is ‘disagreement’ a synonym for ‘fight’ and if so, was it verbal or physical?” You asked him and he sighed.

“Yes, and both.” At the shocked look you gave him, he just shook his head. “I'm fine. He punched me in the face, it's a long story.”

You stopped in your tracks, making Daniel stop as well. Reaching up, you placed your fingers under his chin and turned his face left and right, inspecting it carefully.

“As I said, I'm fine.” Daniel muttered, but you didn't let go of him yet.

“No, you're damaged. There's a crack in your skin on your cheek.” You dropped your hand with a disappointed look, and turned to start walking again. “I'll patch that up at home. So, who punched you?”

You steered Daniel towards one of the self-driving cabs and he held the door open for you, before getting in himself.

“An android.” He said, making you roll your eyes. “Alright, alright. His name is Tom.”

The disdain in his voice made you perk up. You'd never heard him use that particular tone of voice, so you assumed this Tom had to be a really bad person.

“We didn't get along from the beginning. He looked down on me for what I did and I looked down on him because he's an asshole.”

That startled a laugh out of you. You never knew how much you'd wanted to hear your friend swear. A smile tugged on Daniel’s lips as he continued.

“So today, when I was about to leave, he made an offhand mocking comment about me going on a date. I ignored it, until he said some awful things I don't want to repeat… about  _ you _ , specifically, so I punched him in the face. And then he punched me.”

You gaped at him for a moment, opening and closing your mouth a few times as you tried to come up with anything to say. Eventually, you snapped your mouth shut and turned to look out of the window.

“Good to see our little trip to the gym was helpful in more than one way.” You mumbled. You turned back to him with a grin. “I'm not condoning you punching people, but it sounds to me like he had it coming.”

“He did.” Daniel nodded, now smiling as well. “You know, all of that punching made me really hungry.”

“You’re an android.” You laughed. “You can't get hungry.”

“Maybe so…” He looked out of the window as if deep in thought and you shook your head with another laugh.

“What's that even supposed to mean?”

 

++++

 

“Come in, make yourself at home.” You told Daniel as you stepped through your front door. Your apartment was moderately sized and offered more than enough space for you and all of your possessions. CyberLife paid pretty well, so you had upgraded your furniture and electronics enough for them to be considered fancy. At the same time, you had always made sure to keep the apartment looking comfortable and warm, like a place to relax. 

Daniel’s eyes wandered over your large couch and the bookcase behind it. The latter was filled to the brim with books of all kinds of genres and you saw his eyes sparkle in interest, making you grin. 

While you both took off your shoes, you saw him glance towards your kitchen. A counter with two chairs separated the living room from the kitchen, creating a pleasantly airy living space. 

“I should patch up that tear on your cheek first.” You told him, making your way over the the bathroom to wash your hands and grab a first aid kit. After working with androids for such a long time, you always had one at hand. You even carried around a smaller one in your bag, just in case.

When you returned to the living room, Daniel was sitting on the couch, leaning back into the cushions. You sat down next to him with a smile. It was nice to see him relaxed like this.

In one smooth motion, you turned to him and tugged your legs underneath you, before picking out the right tools to fix him. He watched closely as you pulled out a tube that contained a clay-like substance, with which you'd be able to fix the tear easily. 

The skin around the tear vanished before you could even ask him to do so and you reached up to lay a hand on his opposite cheek, turning him a bit towards you. You had to make sure no wiring or thirium vessels underneath were damaged, but everything looked fine. You still felt his eyes on you, as you pulled a small wooden spatula from the first aid kit. After unscrewing the lid of the tube, you dipped the spatula into the clay and filled the tear with it.

The white plastic around it seemed to seamlessly connect to it and a second later, his injury was completely gone. Leaning back, you gave your work a onceover. 

“All done.” You nodded, stuffing everything back into the first aid kit. Daniel smiled faintly as his artificial skin reappeared.

“Thank you so much.” He said quietly. Suddenly you noticed how close you were sitting to him now, knees pressed against his thigh. He looked even cuter up close and the interested glint in his eyes, only made him more attractive. The blue of his irises drew you in and you couldn't look away, captivated by the little green and blue speckles in them. With a start, you realized that you were staring, so you hurriedly moved back, turning away to hide your blush.

Your feet carried you back into the bathroom to stash away the first aid kit once again and as soon as you were out of his line of sight, you sighed quietly. You had to get your feelings under control. It didn't matter that he looked handsome and that he was tall and that he smiled at you all the time now and that- This wasn't getting you anywhere. You'd just have to calm down and get over yourself. You took a deep breath, squared your shoulders and walked back into the living room. Daniel had moved to stand in front of the bookshelf, looking at your collection with curiosity.

“If something catches your eye, feel free to borrow it.” You told him as you walked around the counter into the kitchen. You hoped you hadn't forgotten any of the ingredients Daniel had asked you to buy, but you were fairly sure you had everything. You started rummaging around in the fridge, pulling out all the things he'd need for cooking. A presence at your side made you turn with a small smile.

“You ready to get cooking?” You asked Daniel, ignoring how close he stood to you. At this point you were almost certain he did it fully on purpose just to make you flush. 

“Of course.” He reached past you to grab a packet of mushrooms, brushing his shoulder against yours in the process. “Would you like to chop these?”

“Hell yeah, I would!” You took the packet from him with a bright smile, thankful that he'd let you help. Walking around him - and  _ accidentally _ brushing your fingers against his - you opened a drawer to get out a knife and a small brush.

“I knew you wouldn't feel comfortable with me cooking for you if you didn't get to help.” Daniel smiled, closing the fridge. You hummed in reply as you started to clean the mushrooms.

“You know me so well…” You sighed dreamily, making Daniel chuckle. 

“It wasn't hard to figure out after you practically forced me to give you my shopping list so you could buy the groceries.” He stood next to you, beginning to chop tomatoes about ten times as practised and quickly as you were chopping the mushrooms. For a moment, you just watched in awe.

“Uhm, maybe I should just let you chop these after all.” You mumbled as you turned back to your own chopping board. From the corner of your eye, you saw Daniel smile cockily, never taking his eyes off his hands. 

“Too late. You're gonna have to go through with it now.” He told you and you bumped your hip into his side playfully, making him snort. “Are you trying to throw me off?”

You shook your head, clutching your chest dramatically.

“I would never.” You tried to put on an outraged expression, but you couldn't stop smiling.

“As you just noted, I know you very well, and from my personal experience, you definitely would.” Daniel said and you bumped your hip against him again, making him snicker.

 

The food was heavenly. You had left him to do the actual cooking, sitting on the counter next to him and watching closely. He was obviously enjoying it and your attention on him, so you had asked questions now and then to give him an opportunity to show off. He had taken it without a second thought, answering in great detail and with a tiny smile of his lips. You wished you could've watched him forever, but alas, at some point, the food had been ready and you had moved to sit at the table.

“I know you would never let me, but I wouldn't mind cooking for you everyday. You're so appreciative of it.” He told you with a smile as you tried not to gobble down the fettuccine too quickly. They were so good though, it was hard to resist. “See, you enjoy my food a lot.”

You ducked your head to hide your embarrassed flush at being watched so closely while you ate like a wild animal. You reached over to pick up your water and took a sip of it.

“I'm glad you enjoy watching me more or less inhale your cooking.” You said with a grin. “It still feels bad to eat in your presence, because you can't.”

“I don’t have any desire to eat, so there’s no need to feel bad.” He rested his head on his hand and smiled. “Seeing you enjoy my food is enough.”

“Wow, that’s cheesy.” You mumbled, shoving another forkful of fettuccine into your mouth. Daniel stared at you with an unreadable expression, his LED flickering softly. Now that you thought about it, it was strange he hadn’t gotten rid of the little light at his temple. You personally quite liked it, but most androids these days had taken theirs out to feel more human. Daniel didn’t seem to be interested in that though. Maybe you’d ask him, but it didn’t seem like the right time. Spending time with him at that moment was so harmonious and relaxing, completely without worries, you didn’t want to destroy that atmosphere.

“Something on your mind?” Daniel interrupted your train of thought. You shook your head apologetically, turning back to your food.

“Just wondering if we should watch a movie afterwards... or something?” It wasn't a complete lie, since you had thought about that as well. 

“Sure, sounds like fun.” Daniel said, but there was a certain bitterness in his voice that didn't slip past you. You tilted your head with a raised eyebrow and took another bite of your food. Daniel shook his head at your inquisitive look, so you let him be, not wanting to pry.

“I’ve always wondered, why are humans so fascinated by horror movies? Why do they enjoy being scared? It doesn’t make sense.” He frowned and you shrugged. 

“Let’s watch a horror movie and maybe you’ll find out.”

 

You jumped in your seat, immediately pulling your legs closer to your chest and hiding behind your hands. You could see Daniel turning to you in your peripheral vision, but you ignored his eyes on you. By now you were used to it and besides, you didn't need to look at him to know he was fascinated by your reaction. At least that's what you thought, until he leaned a bit closer and laid a hand on your knee.

“We don't need to watch this movie. As fun as it is to watch your reactions, I don't like seeing you scared like this…” He told you and your eyes snapped to his. His expression was surprisingly gentle.

“I-I’m fine. Being scared is kind of the point, isn't it?” You gave him a wobbly smile and he huffed.

“I just don't get it.” You watched him turn back to the screen and shake his head as another scare popped up. The characters in the movie screamed and tried to get away from the monster that was chasing them. When one of them ended up in a dead end, your own attention was drawn back to the screen as well. You took note of the fact that Daniel's hand was still resting on your knee. It was kind of comforting, really.

You watched in horror, unable to take your eyes of the screen, as the monster ripped one of the characters to shreds. It wasn't very graphic, thankfully, but it was still gross. You grimaced.

“I wish the characters in these kinds of movies weren't always this dumb.” You mumbled.

“I wish the acting wasn't so bad.” Daniel commented and you snorted. “ _ I  _ could probably do a better job than them, and I'm an android.”

You leaned back into the couch cushions with a laugh. The mental image of Daniel as an actor in a horror movie was all kind of hilarious. You definitely couldn't imagine him acting as dumbly as the people in this movie, so maybe he'd be a voice of reason, the person to lead the others safely out of danger. He'd be good at that.

“Imagine we're in a situation like this.” You gestured vaguely to the screen. “We’re getting chased by a monster and we have to survive. What would you do?”

“Well, for one, there are no monsters.” He said with a smirk and you rolled your eyes. “But, hypothetically, if there were, I'd make sure you're safe, I'd get a weapon, and I'd try not to draw attention to us.”

The fact that his number one priority seemed to be your safety, made your heart speed up. You believed him when he said he'd make sure you'd be safe, you felt safe just imagining the situation.

“That sounds like a reasonable plan. I'm sure we'd stand a better chance at surviving than these guys.” You looked back the screen just when some dude fell down an old mine shaft and you shook your head at his stupidity. “I’d feel very safe with you looking out for me.”

Daniel smiled at you, and you didn't miss the way his cheeks were slightly tinted blue. 

Oh no, he looked adorable. Well, even more adorable than usually.

Even after he turned back to the movie, you couldn't take your eyes off of him and you were almost certain he noticed you staring. The soft lights of the room, paired with the harsher light from the TV, made his profile look very lovely and you felt your breath hitch at the sight. You wanted to reach up and run a hand through his hair, but at the same time it would've felt like disturbing a piece of art. So you just kept looking at him, until he finally turned back to you with a raised eyebrow.

“Is something the matter?” He asked in a low voice and you could only shake your head. “You keep looking at me…”

“I think we've already established that you're nice to look at.” You mumbled. You felt his hand shift on your knee, but didn't take your eyes off of him. 

“Hm, yes, we have.” His eyes were boring into you and you were sure he was able to look right into your soul and see all of the affection you held for him. You  _ wanted _ him to see it. “But if you're only looking at me because I'm easy on the eyes, I should be looking at  _ you _ as well, for the same reason.”

It took your fuzzy brain a few seconds to recognize the compliment, but when it did, you felt your cheeks grow hot.

“You're more than easy on the eyes.” You found yourself saying, somehow pushing aside your anxiety. “You're very handso-”

A loud screech from the TV made you jump, and finally you were able to tear your gaze away from Daniel. You clutched your chest in shock, trying to calm your quickly beating heart. Stupid movie.

“Jesus Christ…” You muttered, focusing on your breathing. 

Daniel had turned to the screen as well, chuckling quietly. When he looked back at your pale face, he squeezed your knee reassuringly.

“Maybe we should turn this off.” He reached for the remote and you sighed in relief when the screen turned black and the constant screeching and screaming stopped. 

“I’ll go do the dishes.” Daniel said and stood abruptly.

“Nu-uh.” You sprung up and followed him to the kitchen. “ _ We _ ’ll do the dishes.”

“If you insist.”

 

“You know, it just feels weird!?” You sighed as you dried the last plate. You were sitting on the counter next to the sink, idly drying your dishes one by one. Daniel had listened closely to your rant about how your views on androids had changed since the uprising. He had nodded and asked questions now and then. He was a good listener, and you appreciated that he had simply let you talk for a while.

“Sorry, I got a bit carried away…” You said after a moment, dropping the towel on the counter next to you and stashing the plate on the drying rack.

“It’s alright. I like listening to you.” He assured you with a tiny smile tugging on his lips. “I feel like I understand you a bit better now.”

His eyes were resting on you again and you looked away quickly in an attempt to hide your blush. You felt him step closer, stopping right in front of you, so you looked back up. There was something in his eyes that you had never seen before, but you couldn't say for sure what it was. You once again found yourself captivated by his intense gaze, but you kind of enjoyed it. 

“I like learning things about you.” He hesitated for a second, before he spoke again. “Back when we first met, you told me you knew what it's like when people leave you. What did you mean?”

You sighed, looking at the ground. You had been trying to avoid this topic, hoping he wouldn't bring it up again, but you supposed there was no way around it. With a frown, you plunged back into those painful memories that you wanted to forget and pulled forward the relevant ones.

“I'm an orphan.” You started, playing with the hem of your sweater nervously. You didn't mind telling Daniel about this, on the contrary, you  _ wanted _ him to know, but it was hard to talk about. “But my parents didn't die, or leave me outside in a box after I was born or anything like that. I actually lived a very normal, happy life until I was five. They were loving parents, who bought me the toys I wanted and took me on vacation and played with me and fed me. We were a happy family. Until one day, when they suddenly up and left. They just packed their bags, locked me in my room, got in the car, and drove off. If a neighbor hadn't heard me cry, I would've probably starved to death.

“The police investigated the case, of course, but they didn't find anything. My parents just vanished off the face of the earth, leaving me behind without any relatives, for unknown reasons. I still don't get it, to this day. But I'm not angry anymore, or sad. I just don't feel anything towards them, I don't have the energy to do so. My life is good right now, I turned out to be a perfectly fine human being, no thanks to them. I'm my own person and I'm proud of myself for getting here.

“So, yeah… there you have it.” You shrugged and gave him a small smile. “I know how much it sucks to be abandoned.”

He stepped a bit closer, a frown on his face.

“I'm sorry all of that happened to you.” He said gently and you shook your head.

“It’s alright, but thank you. Do you see now why I understand you? Why I wanted to make sure you got another chance? Why I think you deserve to be happy?” You asked, watching him closely. He nodded reluctantly and suddenly something seemed to change in his eyes. He took another step towards you, close enough to touch you now, and you felt a familiar heat rise into your cheeks.

His hands came up to rest on the counter on both sides of your thighs and you automatically spread your legs so he could step between your knees. You tried to force out a few questioning words, but you stumbled over them when you felt the warmth radiating off of him. He was already impossibly close to you and he seemed to come even closer with every passing second. His hips were pressing against the inside of your thighs and you felt your butt slide backwards to give him more room. His breath was fanning over your red cheeks in soft bursts.

One of his hands reached up to land on your jaw, cupping your face gently.

“Tell me that I deserve this.” He mumbled and you almost gasped. You tried to swallow the lump in your throat unsuccessfully. Your palm found its place at the crook of his neck, just where his skin met his shirt.

“You deserve this.” You whispered, yearning to lean in and take his lips. They looked even more inviting up close and your eyes kept flitting back and forth between them and his eyes. Those beautiful, clear, blue eyes looked dark now, his pupils blown and his eyelids half-closed. It was a sight to behold.

“Tell me you want this.” He impossibly seemed to lean in even more, still not touching you. You almost whimpered in frustration and worried your bottom lip between your teeth to keep the sound down. Carefully, you placed your hands on his cheeks, cupping his face gently. His eyes locked onto yours again and you couldn't look away this time.

“I want you.” Your words had barely left your mouth when his lips crashed against yours. He was clumsy, his lack of experience was obvious, but he was also hungry. It felt like he had been starving and he was finally able to satisfy his hunger. His hands found your waist and hip, pulling you flush against him. Your nose bumped into his and you tried to adjust your angle so he could deepen the kiss. He quickly caught on and as his initial hunger dispersed, he grew gentler. 

You pulled back finally after a while to catch your breath, but he didn't give you a lot of time, before his lips were on yours again. He was cupping your jaw to pull you closer, angling your face just so he could push his tongue into your mouth. You moaned against him and you felt him smile ever so slightly, but he just carried on exploring. You had to push him back with a firm hand on his chest to gulp down some more air. He was about to dive in for another kiss, when you turned away with a chuckle. 

“Jesus, give me a minute.” You rested your hands on his shoulders, keeping him close as you breathed heavily.

“I'm sorry…” Daniel mumbled, but his mouth was on your neck a moment later, leaving a trail of kisses. You laughed, pushing him away once more.

“Stooop…” You whined, framing his face with your palms to look at him properly. His flushed cheeks and pout were the most adorable thing you had ever seen.

“You know, maybe you should cook more often for me in the future if this is the dessert.” You cocked your head to the side with a grin.

“That can be arranged, I think.” He placed another kiss on the corner of your lips, sweet and short. His eyes grew a bit less ecstatic when he suddenly leaned back, so you ran a hand over his cheek in a comforting manner. He leaned into the touch. “You're… you're not just letting me kiss you out of pity, right?”

Your chest seemed to constrict painfully at the tone of his voice. It suddenly occurred to you that it probably hadn't been easy for him to take the first step, considering his constant self-doubt. This lovely, beautiful android in front of you had overcome his biggest flaw while following his heart, just to make a move on you. You were so overwhelmed with love all of a sudden, you could've cried.

“No.” You told him firmly and pressed another quick kiss to his lips. “I… uhm, I really like you, like, a lot, so… yeah.”

You couldn't bring yourself to say the proper words and it stung, but it didn't seem to matter to him. He smiled brighter than you had ever seen him smile before, and it took your breath away.

“I really like you a lot, too.”


	4. Epilogue

“Your shift starts in five minutes, you should go…” You mumbled against Daniel’s mouth and he frowned, pulling you closer.

A few weeks had passed since he had first cooked for you and since then, he had been practically glued to your side, peppering you with kisses whenever he could. You didn't really mind, since you enjoyed showering him with affection as well. After everything he'd been through, he deserved it.

Over the course if the past weeks, he had often slept at your place, so you had gone to work together almost everyday since. And every morning, he was just as clingy as today, refusing to leave you to go to work. You couldn't exactly blame him, considering how boring his job was. In truth, you too wished he could just stay with you all day, so you could hug him whenever you wanted.

“I'll call in sick. You can tell them I have a malfunction or something, right?” He kissed you again, ignoring your protests. When he pulled back, you placed a hand on his mouth to stop him from continuously shutting you up.

“I just don't want you to lose your job, darling.” You said gently and he reached up to drag your hand away from him.

“Say that again?” He watched you intently with a tiny smile.

“What? Darling?” He sighed happily, making you laugh. “You're adorable, you know that?”

“So you've told me. Maybe you could say I'm too adorable to work…” You shook your head with a chuckle and his eyes glinted in interest.

“Or I'll just tell them you're too lovestruck.” You teased, reaching up to wrap your arms around his neck. You sighed when he kissed your cheek. “The only cure is to spend time with me all day, and kiss and hug a lot.”

Daniel snorted, but his demeanour seemed to grow more serious all of a sudden and his gaze softened.

“You know, I've been thinking.” You were about to make another teasing comment, but you stopped yourself and only nodded for him to continue. “This job, I can't do it forever, it kind of sucks.” 

You chuckled. 

“So, I've considered what I could do instead, something that I actually  _ want _ to do, but I couldn't really think of anything. And then, when we were at your favorite café the other day, there was a note that said they're looking for a cashier. Well, I sent in an application and they asked me to come in for an interview tomorrow…” He smiled at you sheepishly as you stared in awe. He looked so proud of himself as he stood there in front of you, you couldn't help but pull him in for another kiss. His hand immediately cupped your jaw as he took charge of the kiss gently. When you pulled back, both of you were slightly flushed and smiling widely.

“I'm sure you'll get this job! There's no way they won't want you. They'd be stupid to not give you the job. Oh gosh, I'm so proud of you, sweetheart!” You grinned and he pulled you against his chest and into a warm hug, which you returned with just as much enthusiasm.

“Thank you for believing in me.” He mumbled, lips brushing against your ear. Impossibly, he seemed to pull you even closer with a small sigh. “I love you.”

Your heart hammered so loudly, it felt like it was about to jump out of your chest any second. Hot tears suddenly stung in your eyes and you pulled back from Daniel to wipe at them. His expression turned from a soft smile, into a confused and worried frown within a second. You chuckled and his eyes grew less worried. Finally, you looked back up at him with a bright smile, eyes still wet.

“I love you too.”

You just stared at each other, enjoying the moment and committing it to your memory. Daniel reached up to your cheek and wiped away a stray tear with a tiny smile. His fingers lingered on your skin, drawing soft circles against it in a soothing manner. You sighed happily.

Suddenly, the sound of your phone ripped you from the little moment of peace and you both groaned in unison. With a chuckle, you reached for your incessantly ringing phone and picked it up.

“Hi, this is Tiffany from floor 23. I was wondering if Daniel is with you? His shift started ten minutes ago and he's still not here.” She said and you almost laughed out loud.

“Ah, yes, he is.” You put on your overly friendly phone-voice. “I was actually about to call you. I'm sorry to tell you, but won't be in today, because he has a small malfunction that needs fixing. It's nothing too bad, but it might take a while.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow at you with a smirk and you quickly looked away as not to break into a laugh.

“Oh, that's a shame. I hope he feels better soon.” Tiffany said and you had to smile at the genuine worry in her voice. “Thank you for the information then.”

“No problem. Have a nice day. Bye!” You hung up before she could say goodbye, your laugh finally bursting out of you.

“I didn't actually expect you to do that.” Daniel chuckled, watching you closely as you almost keeled over from laughter. He steadied you with a hand on your back and you shook your head, catching your breath.

“Me neither, but I guess I'm feeling rebellious today.” You grinned, before pulling Daniel closer. Gently, you took his head in your hands, feeling him lean into the touch with a satisfied smile. He pressed a sweet kiss against your lips, soft and so full of love, you felt like your heart was about to burst. 

You wanted to stay like this forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!   
> Have a lovely day/night~


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